Invisible Lives
by Anjali Banerjee

    INVISIBLE LIVES by Anjali Banerjee
    Category:  Paranormal
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 9+
    Release Date:  9/5/06
    Publisher:   Downtown Press
    Reviewed by:  Jocelyn Pearce
    Rating:  5 Stars


    INVISIBLE LIVES is a sweet and sort of predictable read in that chick-lit way, but the Indian and paranormal twists
    make it good fun and add a unique element to the more predictable parts of the story.

    Lakshmi Sen is a young Indian woman in Seattle with an odd ability to read people's emotions. She physically sees
    them (this is the supernatural part of the story but it is not addressed as supernatural--the story is not about explaining
    this ability), and this gives her a great advantage where she works in her mother's sari shop.

    Lakshmi's life is going along fairly smoothly. She has a good job, and her family has found a good Indian doctor for
    her to marry. The excitement that a Bollywood star brings to the shop, however, disrupts her life more than one
    would think. Whenever the star's handsome chauffeur is around, Lakshmi's special abilities that make her so good at
    finding the perfect sari for anyone, disappear.

    What's a girl to do?

    Lakshmi is a powerful and memorable character, and her story is a fun, fast-paced read. The story is quite well-
    written, and Lakshmi's extra abilities are approached very interestingly, as just a part of who she is rather than the
    entire story. It's an excellent book, but it does lack a bit of a spark. I'd still pick up more by Anjali Banerjee, and
    recommend this novel.